Species swarms and their caterpillar colonisers: phylogeny and polyphenols determine host plant specificity in New Guinean Lepidoptera

• DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1308608
• Publication Date: 2024-01-08T04:56:15Z
• Authors: Simon T. Segar; Leonardo Re Jorge; Louis Nicholls; Yves Basset; Jadranka Rota; Ondrej Kaman; Mentap Sisol; Bradley Gewa; Chris Dahl; Phillip Butterill; Priscila Mezzomo; Scott E. Miller; George Weiblen; Juha-Pekka Salminen; Vojtech Novotny; Martin Volf
• Keywords: Entomology; Chemical Ecology; Phylogenomics

The majority of multi-cellular terrestrial life is found in tropical forests and either an invertebrate or a plant: for decades ecologists have sought to understand why. As global change erodes the list extant species on our planet quantifying what remain, along with their origins ecology, contributes ability preserve ecosystem functioning resilience. Here we study three feeding guilds caterpillars (Lepidoptera) seek drivers diet breadth across four diverse plant genera Papua New Guinea. Host specificity central biodiversity estimates resilience ecological networks. Specifically, calculate distance-based host relation phylogenetic relationships alongside chemical mechanical traits leaves. In terms defenses, focus major polyphenol groups, compound class shared many species. We refine data exploration using food webs ordinations pick out specific relevance insect specificity. Our results showed that degree specialization took following order: phylogenetic>polyphenol>mechanical, such was explained best by phylogeny chemistry system. Leaf mining insects had higher than those externally. Of studied hexahydroxydiphenoyl derivatives, galloyl trichome density, quinic acid myricetins successional index most variation overall community structure. findings build earlier studies Guinean rainforest communities add mechanistic explanation previous are functional islands herbivores. Further, demonstrate different combine defensive appear drive associated diversity. approach integrates trait explore dimensions welcome metabolomic will provide more detailed explanations insect-herbivore use. Finally, diversity directly linked organismal studying range herbivore make connection between ecology help predict interactions and, potentially, persistence